Vebplanck colvin



..v. GOL VIN.

Portable Boats. I v N0.155 ,7IO. y 7 Patented 0ct.6,1874.

T'KE GRAPHIC CD.PHOTO-LITH.39& 4 PARK PLAOEJLZ UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

VERPLANOK COLVIN, on ALBANY, NEW YORK.

l IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,7 [0, dated October 6, 1874; application filed July 9, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERPLANGK OoLvIN, of the city and county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a Portable Boat, or eontrivance therefor, of which the following is a specification: I

The object of my invention is to provide a portable boat, for which no permanent frame is necessary, it being so contrivedof flexible water-proof canvas (or its equivalent) that it may be rolled up and carried in trunk or knapsack, (this forming the boat exterior,) and when required for use in woodlands or wilderness, to be readily framed with boughs and timber (out in the first thicket or wood,) and bound and fastened suitably within the canvas boat exterior, by the means hereafter described.

I construct my boat exterior, preferably, of stout canvas, rendered water-proof by treatment with suitable substances, (pure rubber gum, dissolved parafline, or a mixture of wax and tallow, being preferred.) The extremities are closed and water-proof, and the canoeshape generally preferred. In this shape the boat is double-prowed. The two ends are bound exteriorly by their metal guards (V- shaped) riveted down, and forming cut-waters to each prow. Along the bottom of the boat from end to end are thongs or straps, or their equivalent, and along either of the sides are similar rows of thongs. enings along the bottom are used to tie in and fasten down a keelson, which gives the length and stiffness to the whole boat, and which, in wilderness practice, is frequently a young tree, strong and straight, cleared of branches or knots. These thongs, at the same time, fasten at the middle certain ribs, made of boughs or their equivalents, said ribs forming the crossway frame-work of the boat, and answering the purposes of the knees or ribs of other boats or canoes. The thongs,

&c., along the sides, are usually tied through holes, which, at suitable distances, are worked into the canvas at the margin, and serve to fasten down not only the gunwales, (which, in practice in a wilderness, are usually long poles properly trimmed,) but also the ends of The thongs or fast the ribs, or boughs which serve as ribs. The ends of the keelson and gunwales are joined or restrained and kept in position by the four metal contrivances called framing-blocks, A A and B B of drawings. The elbow-shaped framing-block B receives at one opening the end of the horizontal keelson-pole, while the other opening (of B) receives the lower end of the vertical wooden prow-piece or upright. The triangular-shaped framing-block A receives at the lower side the upper end of the vertical wooden prow-piece or upright, above which are two horizontal openings (in A) which receive the ends of the gunwales. These openings are of various forms, as preferred, and the ends of the gunwales and keelson may be confined or fastened by screw or clamp, if desired. In practice, cross-bars of wood, L, are generally placed from gun- Wale to gunwale, and the form or trim of the boat may be governed by their length. The only portions carried in a wilderness are the four framing-blocks A A and B B, and the canvas boat exterior, as prepared, with its straps, thongs or cords, 850., and the exterior metal cut-waters on prow, as shown at O and C in Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig.1 is a representation of the canvas boat exterior,

as rolled up and tied with cords for carrying.

O and C are the metal cut-waters of the two ends, (the canvas having been folded in the middle, so that, in rolling up, the two ends will be brought together on the outside.) The letters (1 d d (Z d, (Z show some of the upper marginal thongs or straps used in binding down the gunwales.

Fig. 2 is an outline, representation, in perspective, of one of the prows of such a boat, and shows the upper framing-block A, and the lower keelson-block B. The position of a cross-bar is shown at L.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the boat as framed, with poles and boughs A A and B B, at the respective extremities of the boat, being the framing-blocks; L L, two crossbars; P, the prow-piece, and K the keelson, the direction of its continuation being shown by the dotted lines.

For military or transportation use, a light frame, adapted to the framing blocks, &c., their equivalent,'by which it may be attached may bemade and carried. The canvas of to the frame.

boat can also be used, at times, as atent. VERPLANGK COLVIN.

I claim Witnesses:

The blocks A A B B, and prow-pieces G G, GEO. D. HILL, in combination with a, removable and collap- MILLs BLAKE.

sible skin or cover, provided with thongs or 

